Okay, I'll admit, I'm a tightwad. I don't buy into designer labels very often unless I LOVE it...then I'll cave. But lately I have found some of the most awesome and CHEAP deals on higher priced clothing at several department stores and speciality shops, and it's all because I have decided not to become a victim of vanity sizing!

So there have been numerous threads on 3FC about how ridiculous we think vanity sizing is, and how clothes today are 2-3 sizes larger than in the 70's and 80s. But the sad truth is, some people LOVE it. Bad news for them, but GREAT news for us bargain hunters.

I wear a size 6 in most stores. An occasional 8 and an occasional 4 but generally 6 in most popular brands... A few weeks ago I was needing some black Capri's. They were for a function that the hostesses were all dressing alike. I didn't have any so I set out to find some. Nothing. All the size 6's gone, all the size 8's gone. I checked several stores and all the summer stuff was on clearance racks, and nothing in my size. I was desperate so I started checking out bigger sizes and thought I could alter them at home. I started pulling out 10's and 12's that looked pretty tiny so I started trying them on. The 12's fit perfectly. They looked great and were $3.00 for a $65.00 pair of pants. Oh...but the tag said 12 OMG...should I get them? What if someone would see??? LOL

I started looking more...I found WONDERFUL steals on clothes that were NOT vanity sized. A beautiful dress, oh and cute shorts and skirts. I got 8 items...retail price $425.00 all marked larger than I usually wear...and drum roll please...... $42.00. That is a savings of $383.00 my friends!

So, maybe these items were overlooked because only people who thought they wore a size 10-14 tried on, and they were too small...or maybe it is because people LOVE vanity sizing. All I know is, I'm in heaven!

I would love to hear about anyone else who has found great bargins on clothes marked bigger than they would normally wear!

Yep, me too. I don't really care about the tag size because it means absolutely nothing. So, I just bought a dress yesterday that was a 14 when I wear a 12. I found a pair of 16 pants that are the same.

I agree - people love the vanity sizes, so it probably bruises their egos to buy a larger size - their loss is my gain! I'm with you - bargains are way more important.

So are you saying that this is more common in high end shops where there tends to be less vanity sizing? I will definitely check out larger sizes to see if somehow they fit. Out of curiosity, where did you find such prices? I have never gotten that lucky!

Yes, please post what shops you found these great deals at! I'm very interested.

Honestly, the best thing for me would be just a shop where it has accurate measurements on the website so I can buy clothes online without getting the wrong size. I could care less what the tag says.

I try to never buy anything online unless they give a very detailed sizing chart..even then..im skeptical.

Yesterday i bought 3 pants from lane Bryant, on was a 22/24, one 26/28, one 18/20

and all 3 fit me....go figure! LOL sizings are all screwy...

(yesterday i got 3 pants for $30 at LB and 2 blouses for $20 at Ross, all really nice quality, professional clothing, i though i got a good deal...damn you Lori! =P) but yeah, check out lane Bryant's gold sticker clearance, everything is $10! Really good stuff..

I buy a lot of my clothes in thrift stores and other second-hand shops, and it's amazing what I've found by ignoring the label (not only for size but for gender, height and maternity). I'm not petite or tall, but I've bought petite and tall clothing that fit perfectly. I shop in men's wear and maternity too and have bought items that needed no altering or only minimal altering. I've even shopped in "regular" sizes when there was no hope of my fitting in an average garment of that size. I've found that there are exceptions in every department (the only department I haven't bought is children's wear).

I actually read about ignoring the label in a book on fashion for plus-sized women. The author gave all sorts of great tips and one was to ignore the label and who the garment was designed for, and instead go by the clothing's dimensions and fit. She bought and wore clothing designed for much smaller women, for pregant women and for men. The photos were fabulously fashionable at the time (mid-80's so there was a lot of oversized fashions).

Even at my current size (and my largest) I have found clothing made for much smaller women that have fit nicely. For example, I had a beautiful drawstring gauze cotton skirt that would have fit and flattered almost any woman from size 6 to 36. The size on the label was L (16-18). I wore that skirt until it literally fell apart (and wish I had saved it. I should have taken it apart to use as a pattern).

I still am always on the lookout for pants and skirts in soft, drapy fabric with very elastic and drawstring waists. They're not always easy to find, but whenever I find them, I'm really happy because I know that they'll fit and flatter through many sizes.

I'm not afraid to shop up or down. Although I usually don't shop in the exclusively-regular sized shops in the mall, because the salespeople tend to be quite annoying. A very fat woman shopping in a thin-sized store, especially when she's obviously shopping for herself, can cause a near panic in some salespeople. I know I'm not going to try on anything that I could damage, but the salespeople don't know that. But I have bought clothes designed for women 200 lbs lighter than I was. I've always refused to wear tight clothing - so we're talking about capes, and ponchos, and batwing over-sized tops and sweaters and elastic waist skirts and (when they were in style) harem pants...

It struck me as funny that some of these pieces of clothing came in specific sizes. For example the crinkly soft elastic waist skirt I mentioned - it seemed ridiculous that the skirt even came in an assortment of sizes. I suspect that they were all exactly the same skirt just with different labels.

There are some very nice styles that are flattering through a wide range of sizes, but it seems like these styles are extremely rare. I don't know if it's because they're unpopular or because clothing makers realize that such styles could result in fewer sales.

Yesterday I tried on women's XL and XS clothes in various labels, and both fit. Then I ended up bringing home two men's collared T's that fit perfectly.

Didn't get bargoons, just inexpensive clothes that work for me. But it showed me how you have to consider a wider variety of clothes to get the fit you want.

GREAT deal and thread!

I just got down to size 14 jeans/pants 14/16 shirts. Yesterday I hit some garage sales, I found large and medium shirts that looked to be the same size, some mediums even look larger. I don't mind wearing clothes that are labeled larger, to those that do, all you need is a pair of scissors. The labels cut off easily! LOL

First off, let me say that what I consider high end, may not be what others consider high end...remember I'm a tight-wad

The dress and 2 pair of shorts and a skirt I found at Yonkers Department store in Lincoln, NE. (Yonkers is like a Dillards or a Macy's as far as $$.)

I found my Black Capri's at Ann Taylor Loft (Lincoln) and I found a pair of jeans and 2 pair of slacks at Knights, which is a small speciality shop in Lincoln NE.

I can't wait to get back to SouthPointe Pavilion to check out the other nicer stores.

I used to hate buying clothes in a bigger size, and I would cry in the dressing rooms when trying on jeans, especially. Everything is boot cut (hugs my muscular legs too much) or skinny (which I just think looks unflattering).
In slacks I wear a size 12. No other size.
In jeans, I have to buy up a size to get them to fit the way I want. I bought some jeans 2 days ago and noticed they were a 14, which would have made me cry a few months ago. But instead, I was happy they fit me, looked cute, and weren't too tight looking in the mirror, even if tight looking jeans are the fashion. Seriously, if your jeans are so tight I can see your pulse....ew... lol!